


The Sky to Save Me

by PFDiva



Category: Friends at the Table (Podcast)
Genre: Canonical Character Death, FYI, Gen, also spoilers for marielda, but if you've finished winter you know what's going on here, hadrian and ephrim talking to each other because THAT needed to happen, i will not tag because spoilers, probably not right, spoilers for winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-09
Updated: 2018-05-09
Packaged: 2019-05-04 15:11:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14595756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PFDiva/pseuds/PFDiva
Summary: Ephrim and Hadrian have a talk.





	The Sky to Save Me

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Foo Fighters' Learn To Fly

Hadrian stepped into the room, casting a brief glance around at the scattered clothing and destroyed holy symbols. In the center of the room, away from anything flammable, Prince Ephraim hammered at his breastplate. Hadrian didn't need a better look to know what was being hammered out.

"Prince," he began, uncertain how to continue.

"Now's really not a good time, Hadrian."

Fortunately for Hadrian, the prince interrupted, swiping sweat-dampened hair from his face with his arm before resuming his efforts.

"I can't imagine there will be a good time for this," Hadrian agreed, closing the door behind himself, "But out of the times for this, I can't imagine one that will be better."

"I'm really not in the mood to talk about this," Prince Ephraim repeated, his voice becoming impatient, "And I'm busy right now anyway. If you could leave, I'd appreciate that."

"I don't think I can leave right now."

Prince Ephraim's hammer smashed down onto the breastplate with a ringing crash that would have made a lesser man flinch. Hadrian was a paladin of Samothes, even if the god he served had never really been who he'd thought it was. He'd stood in his god's forge. The prince's display of temper, while daunting, wasn't going to change his mind.

"I'm not going to leave you alone with this, Prince," Hadrian told the miserable slump of the prince's back.

"You don't understand. You can't ever understand."

"If anyone could, it would be me."

Prince Ephraim whirled on Hadrian, fire in his eyes. Literal fire, Hadrian realized too late as the prince stalked up to him, his hand wrapped around the hammer making frustrated gesticulations at the floor as he hissed out words that wanted to be shouts.

"I killed him, Hadrian! I killed the only god our people have ever known and it wasn't him-- _it wasn't him!_ It was the frightened child who became his father because he realized he'd made a mistake killing his father and I don't regret it! I don't regret it at all and I should! It shouldn't be that easy to kill a god, especially not the one who _made you what you are!_ "

"You're scared," Hadrian realized. Prince Ephraim bristled, but Hadrian held up his hands to stave off more furious whispering, "I am, too. I tried...well, I haven't exactly behaved admirably myself. Not as befits a warrior of Samothes." The prince subsided, willing to listen, but visibly remaining at a simmer. Hadrian had to tread carefully.

"I didn't--I don't--I _can't_  know what you're going through, how this feels for you," Hadrian began.

"No, you can't," Prince Ephraim bitterly interjected. Hadrian pushed through.

"I can't know what this feels like for you, but I know what you are. You are one of the eternal princes, a formidable fighter, and a brother in the order. And you have a duty. To the order, to the Samothes we have never known, and to yourself. If you want to beat his symbol out of your armor, then you can. You can give up hope like that. Or, you can remember that even though he made us what we are, we are more than the sum of our parts."

The prince snorted his disgust, turning away from Hadrian, "How hopeful."

"It's gotten me through a lot."

"I don't have hope like you, Hadrian. I don't have _faith_ like you. If I did, I wouldn't have killed him."

"Maybe. But he wasn't our Samothes, not really."

"He was the only one we've ever known."

"I offered to follow Samol," Hadrian told Prince Ephraim. The prince gave Hadrian a faint, considering frown. "I was so terrified of the thought of leading myself that I would have handed the reigns to anyone. Even Samot. He may have a hand on them anyway," Hadrian added to himself, more a mumble than a confession before he continued.

"I understand being afraid. I understand wanting to run away from what you are. I don't know what the right path is for you, but I know you'll be the one in the lead. You always have been. That's something to admire. You are admirable, Prince. Please don't forget that."

Prince Ephraim helplessly gestured at the floor with his hammer for a moment before huffing out a laugh.

"Thank you, Hadrian."


End file.
